Doostan Restaurant

Formerly Turkish Cuisine and Bakery on Clark St in Andersonville. Moved about 1.5 miles away. In my opinion, still the best and most authentic Turkish food in Chicago.
The babaganoush appetizer served with their hot fresh baked bread is devine. I’m a fan of the mini
Manti and Lobio. Lobio is not on the new menu but if you catch them in a good mood they’ll make it for you. It’s basically red beans, apple cider vinegar, crushed walnuts, marigold, coriander, cilantro, garlic and some other stuff. Very tasty appetizer. The kebabs are very authentically spiced.
They are only there a few months and still sprucing the place up. Despite the huge bar, it’s BYOB! !

Good experience. I loved my falafel sandwich, and the humus was amazing. And great ambiance. It is a peaceful, lavender-​walled restaurant with classical music playing in the background, pieces like the Turkish March and Romeo & Juliet. It made for a peaceful night. Just expect to pay between $ 10 – 16, but the entrees are a large amount of food.

Great food. You can really tell they take time to prepare their food and it’s always served at the highest standard. Service is always courteous and prompt.

My bf and I are exploring chicago like crazy before we move back to texas, and gave in to the reviews as we are HUGE fans of persian cuisine. We have been to persian restuarants in about 4 other cities, which all have been memorable and would give them 4 to 5 stars, but eating here at doostan was a mistake. I didnt want to return to rezas bc it is a chain and wanted to try another place, but we should have stuck to rezas or just wait til we are back in tx to return to our favorite persian place there. First off, it isnt worth driving to this area, the restuarant was totally empty, the waitress was rude and seemed like we were burdening her even though we were the only ones there. Maybe they want the place empty, idk. Every persian restuarant we have been to immediately serves us with amazing, fresh, thick and tasty, hot bread, and this place gave us some lukewarm, thin and cardboard-​tasting bread. Their must o khiar was very chunky and did not give off a fresh taste. Our salad was brought to us along with a FLY. We ordered koobideh-​chicken and beef and chicken fillet chunks which tasted good (just the beef, the ground chicken tasted very odd), and the rice was VERY bland, and we are huge suckers for rice. Disappointing. And she ignored our requests to add dill to half of my rice. Again, burdening her. Also, every place serves our dishes with tomatoes, onions, bell peppers, etc and our waiter charged us extra for ONIONS when first saying it was free then under her breath saying she would give us a good price. Seriously? There is no ambiance either, the pictures on their website seem enhanced. The service was horrible. I regret coming here on a beautiful day out in the city. Waste of my time and money.

The Persian food was good, but the service was frustrating. Start with the fact that our water was never refilled. When we asked the server about her favorite dishes, she replied that she doesn’t like Persian food. When asked what her favorite dish was, she replied the rice!
One member of our group asked if the chef might create a vegetarian rice dish similiar to what she had eaten at other Persian restaurants — and the server didn’t even ask the chef.
We had several varieties of Persian stew — they were o.k. but had very little meat for the $ 10.95 price. The falafel were generic. Nothing special. The eggplant appetizer was good. The spinach appetizer, which had been recommended, was lacking a spice and acid. O.k. but very one note.
There were very few patrons on a Saturday night and the décor didn’t evoke any feelings of Persian culture.
I think there are better Persian dining options in Chicago.

I had a yen for some Persian food after driving by this restaurant on my way home from work earlier in the week. So, we grabbed another couple and gave it a try. The restaurant is spacious and sparsely populated on a Saturday night. There was one waitress serving the tables and, while pleasant, more professional service would have enhanced our visit. Small things like offering to refill the water.
We tried the eggplant appetizer and the Georgian spinach appetizer. Both were good although I think that they could have been more flavorfully spiced. Also served gratis were pita bread, cheese, cucumbers, parsley and tomatoes.
The main course selections are primarily 4 different Persian stew dishes and a variety of kebabs. Aside from a plate of appetizers, not a lot of choice for a vegetarian main course that we’ve seen at some other Persian restaurants. Three of us tried different stews and all were good. None were over the top but all were served hot with a side dish of plain or dill rice. One in our party tried the lentil soup and enjoyed it.
The décor is a little odd as it doesn’t appear to be Persian inspired but it’s clean and quiet. Parking is easy just off Peterson Avenue.
So, overall, we had a decent meal but it wasn’t anything memorable and I think that the next time I have the urge for Persian, we’ll check out another spot.

I live near Doostan and have been meaning to try it for a while. Last week I took the plunge and ordered some take out. The only meat I eat is fish and seafood, so I decided to order the Doostan Salmon kabab plate with dill rice, and sides of Hummus, Baba Ganouj and the Persian Salad. EVERYTHING was excellent. The Salmon was moist and seasoned perfectly. The sides were all very tasty and fresh. the dill rice that came with salmon was plentiful and excellent. Reasonably priced and delicious.
I look forward to going back again.

Best Persian restaurant in Chicago. Best Ghormeh sabzi in town!!!
The Kebab is very good but the stews are much better.

This restaurant is a largely overlooked treasure. I’ve been to all the other Persian restaurants in the city and can say that this place struck me as the most authentic with dishes that rival those of the greatest Persian moms! Décor is a bit off, but they make up for it with delicious food and good prices. I’ve tried a few different dishes here and so far my favorites are their Kashikeh Bademjan warm appetizer and Ghormeh Sabzi entrée.
Ghormeh Sabzi is my favorite Persian dish and I’ve seen a lot of restaurants mess it up, but Doostan does it perfectly! Will be back soon.

Fantastic Lunch Specials
I was driving by and saw a sign for $ 6.99 lunch special so I thought I’d take a chance. There were several entrees to choose from; I ordered Beef Koubideh. The portion, with Dill Rice that included some Saffron, was enormous — plus it came with a good lentil soup and above-​average «included» salad (more cucumbers, tomatoes & peppers than lettuce). I can’t wait to visit again to try more menu items.

Great service, and an open, quiet atmosphere that was very conducive to enjoying dinner with my wife and young son. The piano music was calm and enjoyable until the same looping track got really old. The food was excellent, and portions quite ample. I thought the baklava was too chewy. Interesting ice cream!

Per my friend’s hubby, an iranian, he likes this place more than Reza’s as this is closest to an iranian home cooked food. so its like going to their country. the ice cream is interesting — pistachios, rose water and saffron flavor. I cant say I love it but its good. texture is mostly due to the pistachios. color from the saffron and tastes like a rose.

Ok I really wanted to like this place but it didn’t go so well. Walking into almost empty restaurant on a Friday evening was first clue food would not be good. I have been to two other Persian restaurants in Chicago that are far superior than Doostan. Humos was to salty with no hint of lemon. I make a better kashkeh bademjan. The fesenjan was too sweet tasting. The gheimah was bland and lentils undercooked. Sorry I wont go back and wouldn’t recommend. Tea was about the only good thing.

Four of us were starving and wanted to get out of the cold, so we took a break at this Persian restaurant to have dinner. The interior was large, spacious, and good for groups. The pinkish lighting was something to get used to, but service was friendly, personable, warm, and responsive.
My dining companions ordered three small plates of appetizers to share. The Hummus ($ 3.95) and Baba Ghanoush ($ 3.95) were creamy and highlighted by hints of garlic, tahini, olive oil, and lemon juice.
The server also recommended the Kashikeh Bademjan ($ 4.95) that came with sautéed eggplant, onions, and dry curds. This eggplant dip was delicious, but not as aromatic and addictive as the one I had at Flame International.
My friends commented that my dinner entrée, the Koubideh Combo Plate ($ 11.95), was the best dish of the night. Unfortunately, they don’t carry a variety of rice on the menu. The tender and flavorful ground beef and chicken could have complemented nicely with a serving of cherry rice.
I was able to sample the highly recommended Fesenjan ($ 10.95) that was put together with slowly simmered chicken in walnut sauce and pomegranate molasses. There was a mix of sweet, sour, and nutty flavor. It was hard to judge this dish since it was my first time having it, but the first impression was also not inspiring enough for me to go out of my way to look for it again.
After the gigantic feast, the Doostan Ice Cream ($ 3.95) was firm and loaded with pistachios. The saffron and rose water tasted a bit flat, and the lack of sticky texture diminished some of the qualities for a dynamic finisher.
Good but not exceptional. It was overall an above-​average dinner with a few wow favors here and there. Service was thorough and very gracious. We were never rushed to leave, and the restaurant owner was very kind to call for a cab to take us to the next destination. I thought this restaurant has some authentic dishes that come with a healthy price tag, but the flavors could also be more robust as I had better experiences with the cuisine elsewhere. I’d be interested in trying other Persian restaurants in the area before deciding whether to return.

Very delicious food.- my favorite Barg plate and Ghormeh sabzi stew taste so good!!! I will definitely come back again!

This is my new sit-​down restaurant choice for Persian food.
I was introduced to it by a prominent member of the local Iranian community as
«new and wonderful» — and he had it right. The restaurant is spacious, lots of room between the nicely appointed tables.
I had the salmon ka-​bob — juicy and nicely charred. This was my introduction to
Kashkeh badejan; an appetizer made with eggplant and kurds.
Wow, what a fine addition to my experience with middle eastern foods! The rest of the menu also looked more varied than other middle eastern restaurants we’ve visited.
Possible downside: no bar. And, when I was there, the nice little section of outside tables had someone smoking when I passed. (We ate inside). Hope they don’t tolerate that. If that bothers you, it’s worth calling in advance and asking. My experience is that many people are not aware that the smoking ban extends to outdoor tables.
In any case, I look forward to return, perhaps sitting outside. But I will call in advance.

we came and ordered
hummus
baba ghanoush
kashkeh bademjan — best
barg plate
sultani plate
lamb shank plate
fesenjan
we ate everything family style and it was AMAZING. the food was great and the service attentive. we’ll definitely come back for more of this greatness.

My wife and I decided to try a new place with new taste… hence, Persian restaurant Doostan.
This is a very large restaurant with parking on the main street. You walk in and notice the Persian décor and table covers. On their website they state they have live music on special nights. We went on a Friday evening so no live band. The menu is quite good with a lot of different tastes for your pleasure. We ordered appetizers: hummus and «kashke bademjaan» which is a very very tasty eggplant dish. The appetizers came with pita and they were both delicious.
For the main course we ordered the seasoned chicken dish and seasoned beef dish. I don’t remember the names of the dishes but I know that they were very tasty. The flavor was delicious and the meats were cooked perfectly.
The service was fast and friendly. We would definitely be going back in the near future.

This is a perfectly adequate place for grilled meats, salads, and BYO adventure. Nothing is bad here, but the kabobs (we tried four kinds) all lack flavor. Chicken kabobs were very dry white meat. Filet mignon kabobs might have been sirloin but certainly were not filet mignon. Hummus was good, and accompanied by a nice plate of veggies, but otherwise not that memorable. Gormeh Sabzi was overrated; chucks of lamb were dry and sparse, and flavor was just OK to me.
Not nearly as good as, say, Kabul House, Shokran, or Masouleh (the last of which also is Persian/​Iranian). Prices are fair. Eggplant appetizer was the highlight of the meal.
Service was attentive and friendly.

This place is a VERY good restaurant.
The service is excellent; very friendly and accommodating. The appetizers are really interesting, and the yogurt, garlic, lemon dip one was outstanding. I also love how this place is NOT oily. For example, the rice is rich, but it doesn’t leave a yellow residue on your plate after you finish. Well done on that front. The only odd thing was that online, I saw many more items that were not on the menu at the actual restaurant. Persian places serving mostly kebabs are so trite. Online, I saw other items like fesenjan etc., but I didn’t see it in the restaurant. I’m not holding that against them though, maybe I’ll just ask next time.
The only criticism is that some of the kebabs weren’t seasoned quite enough. Particularly the barg one (the ribeye). It really just tasted like unseasoned meat, though cooked well, on a skewer. I know Persian seasoning is subtle, but is still should be there. Other than that one issue, the food was great and I have no complaints.
I really look forward to going back.